The present disclosure relates generally to communication in electronic circuitry and, more particularly, to a ring network for sharing resources between circuit modules.
Electronic systems increasingly are built using system-on-a-chip integrated circuits where many components of the system are built in one integrated circuit. Typically, the system includes multiple modules. Each module may perform one function in the system or be configured to perform multiple functions. For example, in a networking system, the modules may include protocol engines and encryption engines. The modules frequently include programmable processors, state machines and other components.
Although these modules may perform specific operations, the modules are interconnected so that data and control information may be exchanged. For example, a bus may connect each module to the other modules. Circuitry used to interconnect the modules adds to the overall cost of the system. Additionally, interconnecting the modules may also cause performance losses due to delays in the interconnections. Furthermore, high-speed interconnection between modules may cause timing problems in moving information between modules.